Murals Inspire Varied Opinions

Pines Commission Has Final Say On Legalization Of Business Wall Art

March 14, 1997|By JOE KOLLIN Staff Writer

PEMBROKE PINES — When it comes to deciding whether a mural is a work of art, the buck may stop with city commissioners. But if the opinions of the five commissioners are as varied as those of residents, a decision may not be easy.

``In Europe, a mural on a wall is the most strikingly beautiful thing,'' Grand Palms resident Terry T. Sherman told the Planning & Zoning Board as it discussed legalizing murals on exterior walls of businesses.

Said Colony Point resident Barrett Balsam: ``It's a helluva thing to come into the city and see junk all over the walls. If you want to see paintings, go to a museum.''

Commissioners last year ordered the planning board to come up with suggestions for a mural law after the Miami Subs on Pines Boulevard at the Pembroke Lakes Mall was cited for having an illegal sign.

The display on the eatery's north wall is a tile mural featuring a dolphin in an underwater scene. It contains no advertising and the restaurant doesn't serve seafood.

The planning board, in a unanimous vote, forwarded ideas for a law to the City Commission. No date was set for the commission to consider the suggestions, which include:

* No lettering, business identification, logo or identification symbols.

* Murals must be made of a durable material, such as ceramic tile, for easy cleaning.

* The design, colors and placement must fit in with the surrounding area.

* The mural can't contain ``visual clutter.''

* No additional lighting should be allowed.

* The mural can't take up more than 25 percent of the space on the main wall of the building.

The planning board conceded that the suggestions, written by the city's Planning Division, leave many questions unanswered. For instance, would a maximum requirement of 25 percent of a building's wall include windows? Which is the main wall?

Board member Carl Shechter also said the criteria don't let business owners know what is and isn't allowed.

``I really don't believe any ordinance should be subjective,'' Shechter said. ``There has to be something in there that tells me what I can and can't have.''

City Planner J. Stanley Weedon Jr. said the planning board, which also sits as the Architectural Review Board, can determine the ``community standard'' when it reviews each proposed mural.

But board chairman Martin Larsen said the board's feeling may not matter, anyway.

``We're going to look at it, but it ultimately goes to the City Commission and it can say, `We don't like it.' ''

The case against Miami Subs, which faces a maximum fine of $250 a day if found in violation of the city law, has been postponed by the Code Enforcement Board while the city ponders the proposed changes in the sign law.